Point Pleasant, The Legend of The Mothman

“Hello? Can you hear me? Hello? Hello?” I hang up. My friend from Ohio is on his way to visit family who live just over the Ohio River in West Virginia, and his phone has cut out. No surprise. We often chat on the phone during his drives there and back, and almost like clockwork, we lose our connection somewhere near the river. We always jokingly attribute this to the infamous Mothman. This is his territory. We both know the legend well. My friend remembers strange activity in the region during his childhood back during the 1960s, and he has his own incredible stories from that time period. His recollections fueled my own fascination, leading me to read a book on the strange occurrences and visitations that began in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, in 1966. Imagine my surprise when I was scrolling through the latest performances being presented at HERE Arts Center, and stumbled upon the puppeteers called The Unitards. They had put together a show called Point Pleasant, The Legend of The Mothman. This I had to see, not only for myself, but for my friend in Ohio. (Lucky for me, my friend gifted me with a ticket since he could not attend. I saw it on Friday, October 13th, naturally!) Using firsthand accounts and amazing puppets, The Unitards took us on a journey back in time, spinning a fantastic tale of alien beings and unexplained phenomena, accompanied by incredible music by a live violinist. I was curious if any of the people in the audience were there because, like me, they knew of the legend? And if so, did they believe it? Do I believe it? Well, all I can tell you is that I do believe the residents of the Point Pleasant area experienced something strange all those years ago. The eyewitness accounts are too earnest to discount. Whether it was paranormal activity, secret governmental projects or visitations from aliens, I guess that will remain a mystery. But to this day, I guarantee that if you take the lonely drive through the Ohio River Valley late at night and cross over the Silver Memorial Bridge, you will not be able to count on your cell phone working, should anything happen and you need to call for help. Let’s just say you have been forewarned. And if you see something fly over your car, or a man in black approaches, you just keep right on driving, as fast as you can. Happy Halloween!